Born with immortal seed

Chapter 164: Palace Master Passes Away
The third location of the Yin Sha earth vein should be the lair of the two-winged Yin centipede, as there are obvious signs of activity.

However, the cave was in a mess, and the malevolent energy was thin.

"It must have been swallowed by those two-winged Yin Centipedes. We'll have to wait another ten years before we can extract its evil energy again..."

Zhou Suqing sensed the concentration of malevolent energy in the cave and felt somewhat regretful.

"These demonic beasts instinctively devour the evil energy, making their already powerful bodies even more resilient, but it's truly a waste of resources..."

They searched the entire valley again, even the pandas jumped around energetically to make sure there were no more Yin Sha veins.

In addition, a cluster of Moonflower Grass was also harvested.

This was exactly what Senior Sister Zhou originally wanted to collect. She had recently encountered a bottleneck in formation techniques and was also cultivating alchemy.

There is a type of top-grade first-tier pill that can have its success rate increased by adding second-tier Taiyin Crescent Grass to the auxiliary materials.

Once she successfully refines one batch, with her talent, she will naturally be able to refine more normally.

At that time, becoming a top-tier first-order alchemist would be as easy as picking up a straw for her.

“Since there are three Yin Sha earth veins, then the three of us can each take one… Junior Brother Bai, what do you think?”

Zhou Suqing knew that whoever contributed the most in this operation would be credited first, so she made no mention of the agreement to share the spoils.

"Yes, this is simpler and saves us the trouble of going into details."

For Bai Zichen, a stable harvest of one Xuan Shuang Gang Sha every ten years, enough for future disciples or clansmen, is sufficient.

"In that case, I'm the one who's benefiting from my senior brothers and sisters... I'll just take the Yin veins of this place, and leave the two places where I can extract the evil energy next year to you two."

Zuli blushed, having contributed the least but enjoyed an equal share of the spoils.

"In addition, I will provide the materials needed for setting up protective formations at the three Yin Veins of Earth."

“Very well, fellow disciples should indeed not be so petty. In terms of magnanimity and breadth of mind, none of us can compare to Junior Brother Bai. I will mark the area and set up a simple formation…”

Zhou Suqing's eyes revealed admiration. Such a talented and powerful swordsman had a broad mind and a heart of solidarity with his fellow disciples.

It is really rare.

That junior sister Lan always got emotional whenever she talked about Bai Zichen, saying that he was straightforward, narrow-minded, and arrogant. Now I think that was just nonsense.

It seems necessary to keep our distance from Lan Hong.

Therefore, he used harsh words and slandered his fellow disciples behind their backs. Such behavior and character are not worth getting close to.

Leaving a mark is mainly to remind later cultivators that the Yin Sha earth veins here already have an owner.

Ninety-nine percent of the cultivators who come to this valley are disciples of the Azure Maple Sect, so upon seeing the mark, they naturally will not have any further thoughts of taking it.

For true protection, we still need to rely on the formations that are set up later.

The main purpose was to prevent demonic beasts from rushing into the cave and affecting the gathering of evil energy.

Back at Baiyulou, Bai Zichen personally selected two spirit bamboos to feed Gun Gun as a reward for its excellent performance.

"Be more ambitious. Once you become a second-tier spirit beast, your treasure-hunting talent will be even more useful..."

Bai Zichen watched as Gun Gun spread its legs and sat on the ground, pickily gnawing on the tenderest part of the bamboo tip, while the bamboo body was swept aside.

"None of the sects have a large-scale breeding of spirit beasts, and the Spirit Beast Hall doesn't have a systematic selection of spirit beasts for disciples to choose from. The Alchemy Hall certainly doesn't specialize in refining pills related to spirit beasts. In this regard, the Myriad Beasts Sect is the most reliable."

Given how lazy this bear cub is, I doubt it can grow up on its own.

The master himself needs to work harder to find a chance to purchase a batch of pills that can help spirit beasts grow from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

The booklet that came with the Spirit Beast Pavilion contained several kinds of pills that were effective against first-tier bear-type spirit beasts.

However, these kinds of pill formulas are basically monopolized by the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

This resulted in a special branch of alchemists within the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. While their skill in refining pills for human cultivators was generally average, their alchemy skills in refining pills specifically for spirit beasts were exceptionally refined.

Bai Zichen then summoned Lu Song and explained to him the matter of the Yin Sha earth vein in the nameless valley.

He instructed Lu Song to follow Senior Sister Zhou Suqing's disciples to the valley to retrieve the Xuan Shuang Gang Sha.

I may not have time to make a special trip at that time.

"Already at the ninth level of Qi Refining... Not bad. In a few more years, once I reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, I can consider Foundation Establishment."

Bai Zichen glanced at Lu Song. Because of the Seven Luminaries Spirit Body, his physical body showed no signs of decline, and his blood and qi were still vigorous.

Moreover, his body was full of magical power, without the slightest sign of weakness.

"Once you've decided to attempt Foundation Establishment, let me know in advance, and I'll prepare Foundation Establishment Pills for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Bai."

Lu Song was assured once again, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

After emerging from the ancient secret realm, although they did not obtain any treasures, they were subjected to a strange infusion of black flames.

After replenishing his essence and achieving the Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body, Lu Song clearly felt that his cultivation speed had increased significantly.

He was confident that as long as he obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill, he would have a very high chance of successfully establishing his foundation.

However, given how rare the Foundation Establishment Pill is, it is not something a mere manager can covet.

Only if Bai Zichen steps in to fight for it will there be any chance.

“I don’t lack sect contributions right now. A Foundation Establishment Pill is only 10,000 contribution points, which I can transfer to him at any time… It’s just that I need to improve Lu Song’s exchange ranking.”

Two days ago, the elder in charge of Lingtian Hall came to Baiyulou and took away a hundred grains of healthy and vigorous Dragon Tooth Rice Seeds.

At the same time, 50,000 sect contribution points were transferred to Elder Bai Zichen's token.

This immediately propelled him to become one of the most generous elders in the entire sect in terms of contribution points.

Even a hall master-level elder like Senior Brother Liang Yu would exchange his sect contributions for things that are useful to him, and it's unlikely that they would just sit idle in his account.

After submitting their applications, deacon-level disciples typically have to wait five to ten years before they are eligible to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills.

The specific interval time also depends on the sect's alchemy furnace operation and the number of true disciples.

If that deacon has a powerful figure backing him and is willing to exchange resources, this timeframe might be shortened.

"In a few more years, I'll definitely be in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and my voice should be louder during elders' discussions..."

In the distribution of treasures in the ancient secret realm, Bai Zichen got the better deal, promising to fight for Lu Song's Foundation Establishment Pill no matter how difficult it was.

Whether he successfully establishes his foundation or not, and what happens next, is none of his concern.

“Originally, the selection of Foundation Establishment Pill candidates was decided by the sect leader with a single word… Now, Gu Xisheng certainly doesn’t have that power, so the Fifth Palace Master has a much greater say.”

"There is room for maneuver if we can get Luzon into the final list."

Bai Zichen looked solemn. Fortunately, Lu Song's Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body rendered the so-called Foundation Establishment Limit useless.

In terms of time, it's not that tight.

"The Purple Star Thunder Sword Embryo has remained stagnant all these years, probably because my cultivation level is too low and the nourishing effect on my Qi Sea is limited..."

Thinking of the secret realm, Bai Zichen looked at the Purple Star Thunder Sword Embryo lying quietly in his dantian. If it weren't for the occasional flashes of lightning, it would be no different from a dead object.

Even while he was asleep, the scattered arcs of electricity from the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo were constantly purifying the quality of his liquid mana.

At the same time, it allows the power of the pills contained in the magic to be refined and absorbed more efficiently than others, without the worry of pill poisoning.

It's no wonder it fell from the quality of a suspected fifth-tier flying sword.

Even in its sword embryo form, it is far superior to ordinary third-tier magic weapons.

Unfortunately, the mysterious sword box that was also acquired has yet to be deciphered, and no matter what methods are used, it remains completely unsolved.

……

Five months later.

"I've run out of pills, I'll have to make another trip to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion... It's a pity I can't take the Nine-Turn Dragon Tiger Pill until I'm in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, otherwise if I took another one, I'd be at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage."

Bai Zichen walked out of the quiet room, played with the panda for a while, and checked the elder's token before discovering an obituary from several days ago.

Tan Changkong, the master of the Alchemy Hall, passed away five days ago.

"Senior Brother Tan has finally reached his end; he can't hold on any longer..."

To this day, Bai Zichen still clearly remembers the ecstatic expression on Tan Changkong's face when he saw the Desolate God Stealing the Sun Technique in the Ancestral Hall that year.

Any cultivator who encounters such a life-extending secret technique at the end of their life will lose their composure.

Tan Changkong was nearing the end of his life, a cultivator who was barely holding on with various longevity pills. Of course, he wouldn't think about the probability of forming a core with the Desolate God Stealing the Sun Technique. Even if he succeeded, the extra thirty years of lifespan wouldn't allow him to take another step forward in his cultivation.

This short period of time gave Tan Changkong more time to arrange his affairs after his death.

Over the course of thirty years, he frequently opened the furnace to refine elixirs, leaving behind a large number of pills for his family's descendants.

Most importantly, it provided Tan Qin, the most outstanding descendant of the Tan family, with a Foundation Building Pill, giving him hope of continuing the Tan family's legacy.

"When a hall master-level elder passes away, one should pay respects in person... However, I have no connection with Senior Brother Tan, and the Alchemy Hall faction even harbors a subtle hostility towards me. They haven't even sent me a funeral invitation, so it's better not to go."

The Alchemy Hall and the Law Enforcement Hall have always been at odds, and Bai Zichen, who was clearly close to Liang Yu, was secretly considered a rival.

There was nothing that could be done if someone was on the mountain; the only option was to visit them in person to pay our respects.

But he was far away at Feiyue Lake, and without receiving an invitation to the funeral, there was no need for him to go to the funeral home himself.

He summoned his only disciple and had him check on Tong Huan's cultivation progress.

With the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror, any slight deviation in the cultivation process of a Qi Refining cultivator will be reflected on the human meridian chart.

"Yes, the foundation is very solid, there are no problems..."

With Lu Song's meticulous guidance, Tong Huan ate first-grade spiritual rice for every meal, and the cultivation technique he practiced was the most suitable for him selected by the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror. He also stayed in a second-grade high-quality spiritual land to cultivate.

In terms of cultivation environment alone, even the direct descendants of the Foundation Establishment Elder might not be able to match him.

He is currently at the third level of Qi Refining, but Bai Zichen does not intend to let him break through with the help of pills.

Unlike myself, Tong Huan doesn't have all sorts of extraordinary encounters and doesn't have to worry about breaking through bottlenecks.

It's better for him to overcome this minor bottleneck in the mid-stage of Qi Refining through his own efforts.

Otherwise, if they develop a habit of relying on elixirs at such a young age, how will they break through the ever-increasing bottlenecks in the future?

Bai Zichen secretly vowed to nurture Tong Huan to at least reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and ideally, to achieve Foundation Establishment.

Otherwise, it would be a disservice to Old Man Tong's gift.

His first disciple's cultivation was too poor, and he also lost face.

(End of this chapter)